No comparing Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz

Juan Williams' commentary ("Principled or polarizing?" June 14) epitomizes the way the media does a disservice to intelligent discussion of our politics. Evidently, Mr. Williams feels the need to give equal weight to both sides. Comparing Republican Senator Ted Cruz to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren reflects poorly on the quality of commentary that Mr. Williams is capable of.

Senator Warren has been and continues to be a tireless advocate for citizens of this country, trying to protect them against the rapacious appetites of Wall Street and corporate America. As a gauge of her impact, the push back by Republicans against her creation, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has been relentless. Republicans continue to resist every effort to protect consumers against the types of financial misconduct that nearly destroyed our economy. Ms. Warren represents a throwback to the time after the Great Depression when we instituted rules and regulations that successfully prevented such calamities until the loosening of these rules and regulations allowed the Great Recession.

Senator Cruz, on the other hand, has proven to be a throwback to the days of Joe McCarthy, not hesitating to accuse then-nominee for Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel of accepting money from North Korea. Mr. Cruz's penchant for throwing verbal grenades is no substitute for actual policy proposals of the sort that might help the citizens of his own state. Indeed Mr. Cruz and his fellows in the GOP are fighting to keep Texas health care among the nation's worst, rejecting any expansion of Medicaid that might put a dent in the six million uninsured of Texas.

The contrast could not be clearer. Ms. Warren is representing her constituents and citizens of the U.S., advancing common sense policy proposals that will make our country a better place to live and protect us from rampant greed. Mr. Cruz is typical of the modern GOP, denouncing all things government and doing all in their power to neuter the protection that government gives us, while offering no ideas to deal with such national embarrassments as our abysmal health care statistics, unless, of course slogans with catchwords of "freedom" and "liberty" can magically solve our pressing national problems.

When the GOP can offer actual policies that reflect the reality of our times and meet the needs of most Americans it may be proper to debate worthwhile proposals, but comparing Ted Cruz to Elizabeth Warren is absurd.